The river of Barcelona – El Camí del Llobregat

Hiking Collection by Peaknik

days

3-6 h

/ day

117 mi

6,750 ft

11,275 ft

The river Llobregat runs for 170 kilometres (106 mi) from its source in Castellar de n'Hug, at an altitude of 1,295 metres (4,249 ft), until it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It does so at the Llobregat delta, which acts as a natural border between the regions of Barcelonès and Baix Llobregat. The entirety of its course is within the province of Barcelona and it serves as the region's main water supply. As with other Catalan rivers, such as the Ter and the Segre, it’s largely responsible for the explosion of industry in the mid-19th century, seeing many settlements grow and factories come to life along its course.

This hiking Collection is a ten-stage journey from the source of the Llobregat to its mouth. The route is based on the GR 270 which, is promoted by the Barcelona council and the Catalan government under the official name of Camí del Llobregat (the Llobregat Way).

The Camí del Llobregat offers you the chance to discover the different landscapes the river travels through. You walk from its headwaters, with its intricate meanders and gorges, to the protected natural areas of the delta. On its way to the sea, the Llobregat feeds agricultural areas, such as the plains of Berguedà and the delta. It’s also swelled by tributaries, such as the Cardener and the Anoia. Even today, the river continues to be essential for the region’s industry.

The river has also been a catalyst for the territory’s history. The villages, industrial settlements, castles, monasteries and churches that you find in this Collection are part of the river’s heritage.

With an average of almost 19 kilometres (12 mi) per stage, this isn’t a Collection for beginner hikers. The route runs along paths, riverside walks, farm tracks and some secondary roads. With the exception of a few moments in the first stages up to Berga, the rest of the route does not present any great technical difficulties. However, given the distance covered, it’s still a demanding proposition, especially in one go.

The mild and dry Mediterranean climate makes it possible to tackle the route practically any time of the year. I recommend spring and autumn as the best times, in order to avoid the most extreme temperatures. The route passes through villages where it’s easy to find fountains, bars, restaurants or shops. However, make sure you always carry water and some food, especially in the first three stages, as these are the most demanding. All stages end in towns with accommodation and services, or very close to them.

The entire route is well connected by road, although public transport is less frequent the closer you get to the source of the river. Even so, from Manresa and Berga you can take buses to the start of the route, and from Monistrol de Montserrat you can get on the Generalitat de Catalunya's railways, which follow the Collection almost to the end.

On The Map

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El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)

115 mi

6,450 ft

11,025 ft

Last updated: March 20, 2023

Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.

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Tours & Highlights

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Castellar de n'Hug to Guardiola de Berguedà – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
06:00
13.2 mi
2.2 mph
750 ft
2,875 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The first stage of this Collection starts strong: 21 kilometers and some considerable unevenness. In this Route you accumulate 230 meters of ascent and 870 meters of descent. This is one of the toughest stages of the entire GR 270, as there are many narrow paths through the forest, almost always downhill…
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Stage 2: Guardiola de Berguedà to Cercs – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
05:06
10.5 mi
2.1 mph
1,925 ft
1,900 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
In this second stage you find a shorter route, 16 kilometers, but with a good dose of unevenness. There are 600 meters up and 520 down, so it's not an easy stage.

For a good part of the Route you leave the company of the river, since it runs through a narrow gorge to the Baells reservoir, and the path…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 3: Cercs to Berga – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
03:13
6.98 mi
2.2 mph
800 ft
925 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The third stage is the shortest of the Collection, only 11.5 kilometres. It ends in Berga, capital of the Berguedà region. There are quite a few interesting things to see here, and that is why I have defined a short stage that allows you to arrive with enough time to visit the city.

In Berga you can visit…
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Stage 4: Berga to Puig-reig – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
06:06
14.0 mi
2.3 mph
650 ft
1,625 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
After the easy stage of the day before, it's time to pick up the rhythm again. 23 kilometers await you, although with little unevenness and most of it downhill. Today's Route offers you a change of scenery, since the narrow narrow canyons of the headwaters of the Llobregat give way to the plains of Bergued…
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Stage 5: Puig-reig to Sallent – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
06:24
14.9 mi
2.3 mph
725 ft
1,150 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
This stage is the longest of the Collection, 24 kilometers long. However, the unevenness is not excessive and also you do not find complicated steps. Most of the Route continues to run through the Berguedà plain, until almost when you reach Sallent, you enter the so-called Conca Salina. This area is…
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Stage 6: Sallent to Pont de Vilomara – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
05:34
13.1 mi
2.3 mph
575 ft
825 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
The sixth stage takes you into the Pla de Bages, a sedimentary plain created by the Llobregat and Cardener rivers. It is a landscape dominated by agricultural and industrial spaces. Its historical industrialization is especially relevant, in the form of factory colonies, aqueducts, locks, bridges and…
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Stage 7: El Pont de Vilomara to Monistrol de Montserrat – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
04:55
11.6 mi
2.4 mph
500 ft
675 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
With 18 kilometers and barely 150 meters of positive elevation gain, the seventh stage of the Collection fully introduces an actor who wants to steal the limelight from the Llobregat River: the mountain of Montserrat. The imposing sedimentary massif is the inescapable backdrop of the numerous meanders…
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Stage 8: Monistrol de Montserrat to Olesa de Montserrat – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
03:09
7.22 mi
2.3 mph
450 ft
625 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
With only 11 kilometres, this is one of the shortest stages of the Collection, designed to be able to visit the sanctuary on the mountain of Montserrat, accessible by spectacular aerial funicular. This brief stage follows the Llobregat as it is sandwiched between the northern slope of the Montserrat…
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Stage 9: Olesa de Montserrat to Pallejà – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
05:41
13.7 mi
2.4 mph
250 ft
475 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The penultimate stage of the Collection crosses the area of most recent industrialization of the entire Camí del Llobregat. That is why some hikers choose to take public transport here (the Generalitat Railways follow the route of the Collection from Monistrol to Sant Boi de Llobregat) and thus avoid…
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Stage 10: Pallejà to El Prat de Llobregat – El Camí del Llobregat (GR 270)
05:01
12.3 mi
2.4 mph
125 ft
225 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
The last 20 kilometers of the Collection take place in the heart of the Barcelona metropolitan area, surrounded by road communication junctions, but also by the fields of the Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat and natural areas of the delta, a territory that barely resists urban pressure. of the environment…
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